Aspidostemon fungiforme, Werff, 2006

Werff, Henk Van Der, 2006, A revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae), Adansonia (3) 28 (1), pp. 7-44 : 21-22

8. Aspidostemon fungiforme

Van der Werff, sp. nov. ( Figs 2C ; 4D )

A congeneris staminibus sex, floribus fungiformibus inflorescentiis puberulis recedit.

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Antsiranana, disturbed vegetation, c. 1.5 km W of Cap Est , 15°16’S, 50°27’E, 35 m, 24. I.1999, fl., Schatz , Lowry, Rabenantoandro & Bernard 3804 (holo-, MO; iso-, P, TEF).

PARATYPES. — Madagascar. Falaises maritimes au Nord de la Fananehana, [15°53’S, 49°42’E], bud, Service Forestier 18226 ( MO, P) . — Ivontaka , au S de Mananara, [16°17’S, 49°49’E], fl., Service Forestier 22833 ( MO, P, TEF) . — Masoala Peninsula , near Ambizana, coastal trail, [15°38’S, 49°58’E], fl., Van der Werff et al. 12765 ( BR, CAS, G, HBG, K, L, LE, MO, P, PRE, TAN, TI, US) .

DESCRIPTION

Trees, to 15 m. Twigs terete, glabrous, lenticellate; terminal buds appressed pubescent. Leaves opposite, 5.5-12 × 1.8-4 cm, glabrous, elliptic, chartaceous, the base acute, the apex acuminate, acumen to 6 mm long, blunt or the acumen not fully expanded, the margin flat, reticulation immersed on the upper surface, weakly raised on lower surface, lateral veins difficult to discern, petioles c. 5 mm long, canaliculate. Inflorescences c. 1.5 cm long, sparsely to moderately appressed pubescent; pedicels 3-5 mm long. Flowers cream, 3-4 mm in diam., 1-1.5 mm long, mushroom-shaped, with a slender pedicel and a flat cap, the tepals reduced to short, broad lobes; stamens 6, the tips flat, very wide, touching each other and forming a ring outside the staminodia III, locelli apical, staminodia 3 with greatly expanded tips, forming a shield-like structure in the center of the flower, fused or tightly pressed against each other; staminodia IV not seen; receptacle shallow, glabrous inside. Fruits not known.

REMARKS

Aspidostemon fungiforme is characterized by the combination of 6 stamens with apical locelli, staminodia III with greatly expanded tips, forming a shield in the center of the flower, pubescent terminal buds and sparsely or moderately pubescent inflorescences. The type collection has less densely pubescent inflorescences than the other collections and there is also some variation in leaf size and texture. However, the similarities seem to outweigh the differences. One collection, Van der Werff et al. 12765, has many galled flowers, which appear globose, 4 mm or more in diameter, with a small crown of tepals, often somewhat asymmetrical. A few normal flowers with the typical mushroom shape, 6 stamens, enlarged staminodia III and pubescent terminal buds allow identification. Occasionally a flower with 8 tepals and 8 stamens is found ( Fig. 2C ). This species is only known from the NE coastal areas ( Fig. 5 ). Vernacular names have not been recorded.

ALTITUDINAL DISTRIBUTION

10-50 m.

PHENOLOGY

Flowers: October, November, January.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Scanning electron microscope images of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter: A, A. andohahelense Van der Werff;B, A. apiculatum Van der Werff; C, A. fungiforme Van der Werff;D, A. glandulosum Rohwer.A, Van der Werff et al. 12748, MO; B, Service Forestier 18319, MO; C, Schatz et al. 3804, MO; D, Service Forestier 16534, MO. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIG. 4. — Species of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter: A, A. caudatum Rohwer; B, A. conoideum Van der Werff; C, A. dolichocarpum (Kosterm.) Rohwer; D, A. fungiforme Van der Werff. A, Perrier de la Bathie 14919, MO; B, Rakotomalaza 1203, MO; C, Réserves Naturelles 3261, MO; D, Schatz et al. 3804, MO.

FIG. 5. — Distribution of Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter in Madagascar: ▲, A. caudatum Rohwer; ▲, A. conoideum Van der Werff; Ϙ, A. dolichocarpum (Kosterm.) Rohwer;Ϙ, A. fungiforme Van der Werff.